As a lead-up to World Environment Day on June 5, environmental justice groups and citizens are launching an unprecedented coordinated waste and brand audits in key cities in India. Scheduled from May 16 to May 30 in the »

The Himachal Pradesh Council for Science, Technology and Environment (HIMCOSTE) on Friday launched a 20-day Riverfront Cleaning Campaign by involving over 1,000 schoolchildren of eco clubs under the National Green Corps Programme and a World Wide Entertainment (WWE) former champion as the brand ambassador.

The Vice President of India, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu has said that cleanliness ensures hygiene and disease prevention and it also creates a sense of social well-being and good mental health. He was addressing the gathering after releasing two books - ‘A Treatise on Cleanliness’ and ‘Waste Management, an Introduction’, authored by Shri Rajat Bhargava, here today.

Tapping renewable energy is a major economic opportunity for developing economies like India. There is a master plan to clean up cities and this would lead to more jobs. But we need to invest, says German environmental and energy consultant Peter Heck, who believes the corporate world is taking money out of the carbon-related business.

The piles of garbage lying in the landfill sites of Delhi is a "very serious problem", the Supreme Court said today as it pulled up the National Highways Authority of India for not proceeding with its segregation to use part of the waste for road construction.
The apex court also stayed the proceedings related to the landfill sites at Ghazipur and Bhalswa in Delhi pending before the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
When a bench comprising Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked the NHAI why it was not proceeding with segregation of waste lying at Ghazipur landfill site, the authority said they had issued tender but the cost quoted by the parties to do the work was exorbitant.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Pinky Anand, appearing for NHAI, said a memorandum of understanding was entered into between East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) and NHAI, which included the issue of segregating the waste lying at Ghazipur landfill site.
Anand, while maintaining that segregation of the .

Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Wednesday asked the Central government to call a meeting of Environment Ministers of NCR states and other stakeholder departments to find solution to the issue of air pollution in the capital.

Delhi Environment Minister Imran Hussain on Wednesday asked the Central government to call a meeting of Environment Ministers of NCR states and other stakeholder departments to find solution to the issue of air pollution in the capital.

A cocktail of toxic factors -- ranging from industrial waste to
vehicular emissions and road dust -- has put 14 Indian cities on the dubious map of the most polluted places in the world, experts said.
A new WHO report said today that 14 Indian cities were on its 2016 list of 15 with the highest levels of PM2.5 or particulate matter (PM) with a diametre of less than 2.5 micrometres. Fine particles stay longer in the air than heavier ones, leading to greater chances of toxic matters being inhaled by human beings and animals.
Here are some possible reasons cited by the experts on what makes the air so dangerous in four hotbeds of pollution.
KANPUR: The World Health Organization report states that the Uttar Pradesh city is the most polluted in the world with an annual PM2.5 average of 173 micrograms per cubic metre (g/m3) and an annual PM10 (particulate matter of 10 micrometres or less in diametre) average of 319 (g/m3).
Among the sources of pollution are industrial point sources, defined

Lt Governor Anil Baijal today directed city's municipal corporations to make plan for management of fire and remediation of sanitary landfill sites in the national capital.
Baijal asked Principal Secretary (urban development) Renu Sharma to explore the possibility of issuing order asking authorities concerned to mandatorily use products made out of construction and demolition waste.
The Lt Governor also directed Chief Secretary Anshu Prakash to monitor the progress of procurement of mechanical road sweepers, sprinklers by municipal corporations as per their timelines on a weekly basis.
The directions were issued at a meeting chaired by Baijal to review the detailed action plan of agencies and stakeholders on measures to combat air pollution in the city.
The meeting was attended by Environment Minister Imran Hussain, Prakash and other senior officers.
"MCDs, NDMC and Delhi Cantonment Board (DCB) presented detailed plan to increase municipal solid waste processing capacity to ensure ...

An Indian-origin scientist in Australia has launched the world's first microfactory that can transform the components from electronic waste items such as smartphones and laptops into valuable materials for re-use.
According to Veena Sahajwalla, a professor at the University of New South Wales, the e-waste microfactory has the potential to reduce the rapidly growing problem of vast amounts of electronic waste causing environmental harm and going into landfill.
It can also turn many types of consumer waste such as glass, plastic and timber into commercial materials and products, she said.
For instance, from e-waste, computer circuit boards can be transformed into valuable metal alloys such as copper and tin while glass and plastic from e-devices can be converted into micromaterials used in industrial grade ceramics and plastic filaments for 3D printing.
"Our e-waste microfactory and another under development for other consumer waste types offer a cost-effective solution to one of the ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that all stakeholders must adhere to the "golden principle" of the 3Rs -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- which will significantly help in waste management and sustainable development.
The prime minister's message was to participants of the Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Indore.
The mantra of 3R - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- is at the heart of any vision towards the sustainable development of mankind," Modi said.
The conference, to end on April 12, will look at how the 3Rs can help make cities and countries "clean, smart, liveable and resilient", an official press release said.
"All stakeholders - producers, consumers and the State alike - must adhere to this golden principle which can contribute significantly in solving the twin challenges of waste management as well as sustainable development," Modi said in the message, according to the government release issued here today.
The theme of the event at Indore is ...